Assessments of Bill Clinton (in verse)

The Year 13 Government & Politics group were set a task to read various assessments of Bill Clinton as President and sum up their own conclusions on his presidency in verse. Below are some of our favourites:

There was a fellow called Bill
Who lived near Capitol Hill
He had an affair,
the Dems did despair, nearly losing him his seal.

Renowned for missed opportunities,
Congress was known for disunity,
a disappointment for some.
Having too much fun,
He had lost touch with community.

An era of fiscal prosperity,
Two terms of energy and clarity,
Crime figures were low,
Employment was a go,
Free trade was a popularity.
CW

There was a young gov'ner named Bill,
With undeterrable political will,
Despite tales of scandals,
And Congressional mishandles,
He remains ever popular still.
KM

Bill Clinton had lots of charm
It didn't do his presidency harm
Although he had flair
He failed with healthcare
And he and Republicans didn't get on.

By the end there was a budget surplus
But Congress had turned into a circus
He gave the Middle East support
Then avoided going to court
In the end all was forgiven.
AT

Was Bill Clinton a superficial president?
His lack of moral authority was evident
White Water, Lewinsky, impeachment, the lot
Clintonian scandals will not be forgot
His obstruction of justice was reprehensible
But the Republican attack was hardly defensible.

In domestic affairs the guy showed ability
An era of economic prosperity and social stability
Yes relations with Congress were at a strain
And healthcare reform went down the drain
But surplus was up and crime was down
The role of government re-asserted, even Newt didn’t frown.

In foreign affairs he didn’t do as well
The Test Ban Treaty was hard to sell
Yet global trade was encouraged at least
Peace established in the Balkans, Northern Ireland and Middle East.

So to conclude our judgement of his presidency
In the art of persuasion he clearly lacked competency
He did leave the country in robust good health
Welfare reform and economic wealth
But we can’t help but feeling a sense of talent wasted
His hopes of a fairer society only briefly tasted.
AH

Politics: Congress' game of Budget Chicken. Does it matter? Yes!!!



Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich before closing the government in 1995.

 
Remember how they played "chicken" back in the 1950s?  Two guys in hot-rod cars drove toward a cliff.  The first to jump out was Chicken.  His friends all laughed.  Click here to see how it played out in the classic film Rebel Without a Cause.   Notice how the winner got to celebrate by being killed while his friends drank beer.  



James Dean with Corey Allen before
Allen drives off a cliff in Rebel Without a Cause.


What a perfect game for politicians: pointless, self-destructive, with big headlines.  Not surprisingly, playing chicken with American finance has become a favorite sport of the US Congress.  And  2011 seems destined for a spectacular crash, with a choice of two on-rushing cliffs to drive off:

• First, on March 4, the Continuing Resolution (CR), the law that funds most of the US federal government, expires.  This is no accident: Republicans last December insisted on the short fuse. Unless the CR is extended or replaced, the government must shut down that day.  

• Second, in late March, the Debt Ceiling, which limits the total amount of money the Federal Treasury can borrow -- set last year at $14.3 trillion -- is scheduled to be reached.  Since Treasury borrowing is needed not just to fund the government but also to replace expiring bonds and pay interest, failure to raise the ceiling could cause the US government to default on its bills.  

Government shut downs?  Defaults?   The last time Washington shut down was in 1995 when then-House Speaker Newt Ginrgich insisted then-President Bill Clinton accept a list of spending cuts, which Clinton refused.   For a full week as the polticians jockeyed, offices closed, benefit checks froze, and national parks and monuments went dark.  The public cringed at the whole futile exercise.  As for defaulting on bonds, the US government has never done this in its entire 213-year history (with a partial exception in 1933 when FDR eliminated the "gold clause" in US obligations, allowing debt paid in paper currency.( Click here to see Alex Pollock's take on this from the American Spectator. )

US "full faith and credit" -- its commitment to pay bills -- is enshrined in the Constitution as the basis of our national ability to borrow.  It is as close to sacrosanct as anything in finance, and the only thing that separates us from Greece and Ireland in the eyes of lenders.

So why are Congressmen and Senators -- particularly Republicans of the Tea Party stripe -- threatening once again today to play chicken with America's global fiscal standing by refusing the raise the debt ceiling or extend the CR?   Is it really just simple, self-serving, annoying politics-as-usual?   

Take a look at this chart:  It shows the US national debt since 1940, in constant dollars.  Notice the explosions starting in 1980 (Reagan tax cuts), in 2002 (Bush tax cuts plus two wars), and the near-vertical climb since 2007 (Wall Street financial melt-down).  Today, US debt is nearly 80 percent of our gross domestic product.   Almost nodoby disagrees that, unless reversed soon and sharply, this trend threatens to swamp our economy, our national security, and our future. 

For years,  politicians have gabbed about cutting the debt, but almost never do anything about it.  Just last month, President Obama and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell negotiated a tax cut deal increasing the debt by a projected $900 billion in two years, while solemnly promising to "get serious" about the debt "next year."  The fact is, nothing can be done to save money in Washington -- not spending cuts, not taxes increases -- unless some politician on one side or the other agrees to surrender. 

He or she has to agree to jump out of his car and be called "chicken."  And unless the car is careening toward a cliff, nobody will jump.

This is why, as much as I hate to admit it, the Tea Party crowd has a point.  IF the goal really is to force Washington to do something serious about the debt, then playing chicken with the CR and Debt Ceiling is a bold way to do it.  Presumably, the Republicans will refuse to relent until Obama agrees to big spending cuts. And then, their egos protected, a few of them will jump from the car and let everyone avoid the crash.

If Obama refuses, the government will close or default on its bonds.  Or, if Obama reciprocates, using the Tea Party gambit as an excuse to put forward his own set of perhaps-more-reasonable cuts and modest revenue enhancers, all sides could walk away with a victory.

This is a dangerous game.  Remember James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.  His rival, Corey Allen, got his sleeve jammed in the car door and, as a result, when he needed to jump, he couldn't.  Off the cliff he flew.  So too could Obama or the Tea Party if they play this wrong, and the big loser will be the US economy.  Knowing when to jump, when to refuse, and how to open the door, are key.

Have we really come to this?  I've given up on trying to find the adults.  Let's just hope the children don't burn down the house.

Is this Obama's "Read my Lips" Moment?

Way back in the last Century, in 1988, 22 years ago (Gasp! Am I really that old?), George H. W. Bush convinced the voters of America to elect him President, defeating Democrat Michael Dukakis in an electoral college landslide, 426 to 111. Central to Bush's campaign, however, was a single memorable promise that made him a hero with conservatives coast to coast: that he would never, ever, ever raise taxes.

Bush immortalized this pledge in his acceptance speech to that year's Republican Convention in New Orleans, uttering his most-ever-cited statement, as follows: "Read my lips! No New taxes!" -- taken from the Clint Eastwood tough-guy movie "Dirty Harry." Here's the video in case you've never seen it. It's a beauty: Click here.

The irony, of course, is that in 1990, just two years later, Bush broke that pledge. Facing soaring deficits and a sinking economy, Bush decided to compromise with Democrats and sign a deal cutting Washington government deficits by $500 billion over ten years. Though it contained many spending cuts painful to Democrats, it also raised many key taxes, including the Federal gas tax.


The photo above shows Bush as President siging the 1990 deal. Not much of a smile on his face.

Not surprisingly, conservatives erupted in anger. "Read my lips. I Lied!" headlined the New York Post. The Cato Institute called it the "Crime of the Century," and the Heritage Foundation quickly tagged it a failure. Most Republicans in Congress voted no (or Hell No!!) on the package; Bush had to rely on Democratic votes. Then, in 1992, when Bush stood for re-election, the pigeons came home to roost. Despite his widely-admired leadership during the 1991 Persian Gulf War that sent his popularity soaring to near 90 %, Bush's budget deal and a worsening recession soured his prospects. Television pundit and former Nixon speech-writer Pat Buchanan managed to embarrass him by winning 40% of the vote in the New Hampshire Primary, running largely on Bush's violation of his tax pledge. In the general election, Democrat Bill Clinton cited it too, and won a comfortable victory in a three-way contest that also included businessman Ross Perot. (click here for 1992 election results.) By the next January, George H.W. Bush was out of a job.

All of which brings us to today's president, Barack Obama, and his decision this week to join in a deal with Congressional Republicans to extend the large, due-to-expire, Bush Junior-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The deal contains other things, but none more important. As with Bush Senior in 1990, this too violated a position central to Obama's candidacy and presidency. Obama has made his opposition to continuing the Bush tax cuts for Americans with incomes above $250,000 per year a matter of basic principle, one widely shared with his supporters. Already, many Democrats are calling it a betrayal or worse.

Will this be the beginning of the end of the Obama presidency, just as the 1990 budget deal marked the beginning of the end for George H.W. Bush? Obviously, it is way too soon to say. Obama still has time to win back his critics, and perhaps even win on the tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy issue itself when it comes up again in two years. Still, the parallel is hard to ignore. Stay tuned. This will be very good drama.

World AIDS Day

While the snow keeps us all at home, spare a thought for those 30 million people around the world who live with HIV/AIDS. It is World AIDS Day today - highlighted in the assembly last week. Have a look at the official website to find out more about what you can do to help raise awareness and money. Elton John has also guest edited the Independent today to highlight issues to do with the epidemic and articles include an interview with Elton John by Jimmy Carr, Bill Clinton's view of the issue and Stephen Fry's involvement with AIDS charities like the Terence Higgins Trust.

The Special Relationship

Another interesting Tony Blair drama on BBC2 on Saturday night (on iplayer) starring Michael Sheen, this time on the 'special relationship'. This is the name Britain tends to give to the relationship between the United States and Britain. From the US's point of view, this name is a little optimistic, considering Britain's competition - Mexico and Canada to name but a few. However, it is a subject that both historians and journalists find fascinating. It is a very interesting relationship; made only more so by the recent personal relationships between Blair and Clinton (the programme's subjects) and Blair and Bush. The programme is excellent to give you an overview of the issues that involved the US and the UK at the end of the 1990s, especially Kosovo. Peter Riddell, the Times journalist and author, has also written an excellent book which is very readable and informative on this topic.
What do you think the relationship is between Obama and Cameron? Is the relationship between the US and UK 'special'?

Bill Clinton Strikes Again

It's deja vu all over again.

He endorses him. He doesn't. He equivocates. They do lunch. He hems and haws, confuses the meaning of a simple word like "is," then spits out the party line like he's doing everyone a favor. Somehow, I've seen this show before.

Less than forty-five days out from the election and Big Bill is too busy to hit the campaign trail for Barack Obama. Sour grapes and all, Billary needs to move on. But then, they never did put the country before personal ambition, great public servants that they are.

Public Reaction to Famous Infidelties Bodes Badly for John Edwards

John Edwards' admission of an affair with 42-year old campaign staffer Rielle Hunter finally confirmed persistent rumors dodging the blogosphere throughout the primary election. The questionable reputation of The National Enquirer, the lead source of this sordid story, bolstered Edwards' ability to deny initial infidelity reports and keep reputable news organizations off the investigative trail.

With the affair out in the open and Edwards offering to help prove paternity of Hunter's newborn, pundits now debate Edwards' political future. Some, like Clinton loyalist James Carville, claim "his political career is in shambles." Others, like former presidential candidate John Kerry "don't know what's possible and what's gone."

It's not so much his infidelity -- despicable as it may be to have cheated on a wife whose cancer was in remission -- but the vehement way in which Edwards and his campaign staff denied initial reports. This breach of public trust brands Edwards as a liar, a difficult character trait to erase. If history is any indication of the outcome, the public will not soon forget.

Take a look at public reaction to these famous infidelities.

In a recent television news poll, former President Bill Clinton was voted top political adulterer of all time. Some point to Clinton for wife Hillary's bitter loss in the 2008 primaries. Clinton's attempts to cover-up of his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky threatened to bring down his presidency. Today, there are people who blame his indiscretions for the events leading up to 9/11.

Actress Meg Ryan was America's sweetheart until she publicly cheated on husband Dennis Quaid with Australian new comer Russell Crowe. Their subsequent divorce lead Ryan into seclusion and questionable plastic surgery. In a recent interview with Parade magazine, Ryan revealed, "It's a very big surprise in life when you learn that not everyone is rooting for you." Since falling off the radar, none of Ryan's movies have achieved critical or box office success.

Stand-up comic and actor Eddie Murphy was voted the world's leading love rat for insensitively dumping Spice Girl Melanie Brown and refusing paternity testing for her daughter, Iris Angel. He finally admitted paternity after Brown filed suit. Before then, Murphy famously cheated on wife and mother of his five other children Nicole Mitchell with a transvestite prostitute, resulting in a messy divorce. He subsequently split with Tracey Edmonds reportedly because she refused to sign a prenuptial agreement. Murphy's movies have had mixed reactions at the box office. His Shrek animation franchise plays to large crowds, but his solo features are not as popular. Perhaps most telling of public reaction is Murphy's stunning loss of an Academy Award for his moving turn as James Early in the widely successful Dreamgirls, this after being called the odds on favorite.

The philandering of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is described as the height of hypocrisy for Gingrich had publicly rebuked the embattled Bill Clinton at the same time as his own indiscretions. Gingrich famously dumped first wife Jackie as she recuperated from cancer in the hospital. When his pastor criticized him for failing to support his two children, he left the church. Gingrich also dumped wife number two, Marianne, in a Mother's Day telephone conversation after cheating with Congressional aide, Callista Bisek. Although they subsequently married, the scandal likely kept Gingrich out of the 2008 election. Though the scandal was still under wraps when Gingrich famously resigned his position as Speaker of the House, some still blame his infidelity for costing the Republican Party.

Before there was Team Aniston and Team Jolie, crooner Eddie Fisher famously broke actress Debbie Reynolds' heart by running away with actress Elizabeth Taylor. Todd Fisher, the couple's son, called his father's infidelity the "scandal of all times." Fisher and Taylor quickly married and divorced. Still, fans sided with Reynolds against the evil Fisher and Liz. Fisher never had another top 40 hit after his marriage to Taylor. At best, his movie career is described as mediocre. And over time, Fisher has been relegated to performing in smaller and smaller venues.

[Source]

End of Tony Soprano Parallels Hillary Clinton Finale

Stop the presses. Talk about the unexpected death of Tim Russert throwing a nation into shock, this update from virtual Jersey has me reeling.

Tony Soprano got whacked in The Sopranos finale. So says a ridiculously long in depth scholarly analysis of the HBO mega hit. Why am I always the last to know? The author published this dissertation on May 11, 2008. May freak'n 11th!! Curses on all of you who've been nattering behind my back ever since.

With all the Sex and the City: The Move hype, I recently published my own secret longing for a Sopranos reunion movie. Boy, do I feel moronic now.

If you've got the time and the patience, slog through this stuff. It's logical, analytical, and well researched. Of course, those of us with short attention spans prefer the Cliff Notes:

Positioning of actors in Holsten's restaurant: Location, location, location. Even in a fictional TV show, location matters. If you don't believe me (or the tomb), re-watch the final scene of the final episode. Make a map of every character sitting in the restaurant. If you do it correctly, the analysis shows how third person camera shots and point of view (POV) camera shots conclusively establish Tony's murder. POV shots are seen through Tony's eyes. Tony sits in a restaurant booth facing the entrance, blocking his view of certain patrons. When the camera cuts to these patrons, Tony isn't seeing them, we are, making them third person shots. This blows the "Tony lives with paranoia" ending clear out of the water. Tony is not paranoid. The audience simply doesn't understand the underlying meaning of the camera angles.

POV sequence/blackout: Building on the POV camera shots theory, the author notes a telltale pattern. A cowbell attached to the restaurant entrance rings whenever a patron enters or exits. When Tony hears the cowbell ring, he looks up at the door. When he looks up, we see what he sees. To prove the point, the author notes a third person shot of two new customers, two black men, in the restaurant. We do not hear the cowbell or see them enter because Tony is distracted when they arrive. This shows the importance of the pattern established with static POV shots. In the scene's final minutes, we hear the cowbell. Going with the pattern, we should then see someone entering or exiting the restaurant. Instead, we see and hear nothing. The scene goes pitch black. There is no sound. This tells us that Tony's POV is pitch black with no sound, dead as a door nail. Never saw it coming. I say give Tony more cowbell! Where is more cowbell when you need it?

Man in the "Members Only" jacket: The only track shots in the final scene are when Tony enters the restaurant and when the Man in the Members Only jacket (don't ask me why, but the author abbreviates the reference to "MOG") goes to the bathroom. We get a view of MOG that Tony does not get which is him looking back at Tony. That's how we know it's a track shot. All other camera angles are either third person or POV. MOG is hazily framed in many of Tony's POV shots. He's in Tony's view, but Tony isn't seeing him. Also, MOG is the only patron shown behind the door before he enters. He doesn't register with Tony because AJ is directly behind him. Tony waves to AJ and ignores MOG. Clearly, MOG is the hit man. Tony should be paying more attention, but he is relaxed and happy to be with his family. We never see MOG leaving the bathroom because Tony never sees MOG leaving the bathroom. Carmela and AJ never see MOG leaving the bathroom because they are too interested in studying their menus. The hit happens suddenly behind Tony's back with a gunshot to the head. Makes perfect sense.

Never heard it coming/flashback: The author details several episodes where Tony discusses the life of a mob boss: death or jail. "You probably never hear it coming" and the like is often repeated in the last nine episodes. Significantly, Tony flashes back to a scene where the phrase is said. This foreshadows that when the end comes, Tony will never hear it coming. Don't Stop Believing will be playing on the jukebox and then everything will go completely dark. Sad, when you think about it. On a more positive note, I heard they recently found a new lead singer for Journey.

Dispelling the "nothing happened" theory: Antithetical to all of David Chase's work throughout the series, the author details many plot lines with satisfying build ups and endings. Having such a big build up to a nothing ending makes no sense, violates the show's basic structure, and therefore is not credible.

So, there you have it. The author further analyzes the meaning of Tony's death, Holsten's as symbolism, the parallels between the show and The Godfather, terrorism and the Iraqi War as keys to the finale, miscellaneous fun David Chase stuff, and the influences of The Public Enemy and Goodfellas on the show.

Exhausting. They'll have to study this work of art in classes about mythic television.

For my money, there is one interesting parallel the author either missed or chose to ignore: Hillary Clinton using the final scene as a parody ad for her presidential campaign. "Everybody wants to know how it's going to end," says Bill as they bond over carrot sticks. Hillary sits at the restaurant booth just a bit too relaxed, her perceived feelings of entitlement clouding her ability to run a top notch campaign, the lure of a stronger candidate fuzzily out of focus. In the end, she too took a symbolic bullet to the head. The parallels are glaringly obvious, but why polarize everyone before the convention?

Just want to sit and bask in David Chase's extraordinary brilliance.

Politicelebritopia Round-Up for October 29, 2007

The line separating politicians and celebrities so often becomes blurred. As they cross into each others' realms, mongrel spawn are born. Round-up from this past week includes:

1. Madame Tussauds opened another house of wax in Washington, D.C. This full sensory interactive museum is probably the only place in the world where both Katie Couric and J. Edgar Hoover can put visitors on the hot spot...[more]

2. Cate Blanchette's sons have problems differentiating the celebrity from the sovereign, but they’re only five and three years old. What’s everyone else’s excuse?...[more]

3. Whoever is running FEMA watches too much reality television. America’s civil servants turn their California wildfire response into a botched episode of Survivor...[more]

4. This Hillary screensaver is a riot. When maneuvered correctly, New York’s junior Senator looks quite happy to substitute bubbly balls for hubby Bill...[more]

5. Speaking of Bubba, at Hillary’s 60th birthday bash, good ol' Bill revealed aspirations to star in Billy Crystal’s next movie. You’ll never believe who tested for the part of Marilyn Monroe...[more]
6. The downside of socialized medicine is revealed as Keith Richards, Patricia Routledge, and Christopher Timothy march to protest the consolidation of hospitals in southern England...[more]

7. After toying with the idea of running for president, popular Comedy Central star, Steve Colbert, begins stumping in his home state of South Carolina. Guess he skipped the ending of that popular Robin Williams movie, Man of the Year...[more]

That concludes this week's edition of Bastard Child. Tune in again next week for more spawn from around the globe.

Bill Clinton and Bob Barker

Bill Clinton is stumping for Hillary in New Hampshire. Last week, I heard on the radio that some people in the Live Free or Die (Hard) state (sorry, Bruce & Co., but that is one lame movie title) are mistaking old Bubba for The Price is Right cheerleader emeritus, Bob Barker. Could this be fodder for another separated at birth?

I still can't believe I wasted the time it took to compose this video short, but I did. What I won't do to get noticed. How much sleep will I loose before throwing my hands up in disgust? What's next? Branded TV shorts?

For better or worse, take a gander at my initial foray into video broadcasting.